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Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: Some beginning read alouds

I have a brand new class: a busy group of seven and eight year olds. Many of them are not used to the nonfiction read aloud. But, they love to be read to and they are fascinated when I share facts with them about the world. Nonfiction books are stories of their world and I know they will be hooked. I wandered through my collection yesterday and pulled some titles to start reading aloud.

I needed titles that are not too long. They have to have engaging photos or illustrations. Ideally, there will be some humour or an interactive element (guessing and checking). The language needs to fit and if it can be lyrical and lovely, all the better. Or punchy and action packed!

Here are the ten titles I selected as beginning nonfiction read alouds:

Nest by Jorey Hurley

A series of words and beautiful images to explore birds and their nests.

A Bird Is a Bird by Lizzy Rockwell

What makes a bird a bird exactly? A title to explore all the qualities of a bird.

Bone by Bone: Comparing Animal Skeletons written by Sara Levine with illustrations by T.S. Spookytooth

A fun interactive style. What kind of animal would you be if . . . ?

Guess What is Growing Inside this Egg by Mia Posada

Clues and images lead us to the next page where we find the answer. Perfect to read a few pages at a time.

I’m Trying to Love Spiders by Bethany Barton

Humour, spiders and some splatting. Learning as you laugh! Perfect.

Eat Like a Bear written by April Pulley Sayre and illustrated by Steve Jenkins

Follow a bear over seasons – how and what does a bear eat?

Weeds Find a Way written by Cindy Jenson-Elliott and illustrated by Carolyn Fisher

Lyrical and visually stunning. Appreciate weeds for their beauty and persistence.

A Leaf Can Be . . . by Laura Purdie Salas and illustrated by Violeta Dabija

Beautiful nonfiction describing and hinting at all of the roles leaves can play – from “rain stopper” to “shade spiller” and many more.

Best Foot Forward: Exploring Feet, Flippers, and Claws by Ingo Arndt

Marvel at the various interesting animal feet that different animals use to walk, climb, dig, paddle, etc. There is a guessing from a photograph aspect to this book.

Creature Features: 25 Animals Explain Why They Look the Way They Do by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

The format is engaging – each animal is introduced with a mini letter/question and answer.

Thanks to Alyson fromKid Lit Frenzyfor the inspiration to read and share more nonfiction picture books in 2015. Follow the link to Alyson’s blog to read about more nonfiction books you need to read!

Wonderful list. I own some, have read them all. One of my favorites that I did use as a non-fiction mentor text was Eat Like A Bear. I love that book. Nest is really fine, too, and fits your criteria too, Carrie, short text but tells a lot! Thanks for pulling these into a great group.

I love encouraging kids to explore nonfiction – I find that a lot of teachers/librarians suggest graphic novels for reluctant readers, which is awesome, but nonfiction is another excellent option that can capture the interest of children who aren’t too keen on fiction.

Great post! I can’t wait to check these out from the library and share them with my own class of 7/8 year olds… I agree that the guessing and checking element is fun! I am always looking for nonfiction that also has text features that say “nonfiction” to younger readers – sometimes this is hard to find.

You are awesome at the lists! I am teaching kindergarten students again after not doing it for about 6 years. I will definitely share some of these with them. Thanks for the great nonfiction you recommend. I always trust your judgement after trying so many of the titles you suggest and having success with them. 🙂